316 days later, committee decides to ban Israeli passports until attacks stop

The Parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 Committee) decided on Monday to ban entries on Israeli passports until Israel stops its attacks on Palestine, 316 days after the Maldivian administration announced its decision to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet made the decision to make legislative changes to ban Israeli passports on June 2, 2024.

At the time, the Parliament had already received a bill from Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a parliamentarian from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), seeking a blanket ban on travelers with Israeli passports.

The South Galolhu representative’s bill, submitted the legislature on May 29, 2024, was designed to add a clause to Article 8 of Immigration Act, which lists individuals who are barred from entering the Maldives.

It seeks to bar the entry of all Israeli passport holders, including those who have dual citizenship.

Following the cabinet’s decision, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), who hold a supermajority in the Parliament, decided to accept the bill, and make the changes the government wants during the committee stage.

But the bill, which was sent to the Security Services (241) Committee on June 10, had remained stymied.

During a committee meeting held on Monday afternoon, the deputy leader of PNC’s parliamentary group, Hulhudhoo MP Mohamed Shahid proposed amending the bill to stipulate a ban on entries on Israeli passports until Israel stops the attacks it launched on Palestinian people on October 7, 2023.

He also proposed omitting the clause which stipulates a ban on Israelis who have dual citizenship.

The proposal was seconded by fellow deputy leader of PNC’s parliamentary group, Vilimale’ MP Mohamed Ismail.

The committee passed the bill with the amendments with the unanimous consensus of the committee members.

During an earlier committee meeting held on Monday morning, members discussed an amendment to the bill proposed by Immigration.

The agency proposed changing the phrasing to ban “individuals who show Israeli passports seeking permission to enter the Maldives”.

Immigration said that the agency determines the citizenship of foreign individuals who seek entry to the Maldives based on the passport they show, and has no way to check if they have dual citizenship.

The agency opinioned that the propose bill therefore cannot be implemented.

The committee decided to hold a second meeting to make a decision after consulting with Attorney General Ahmed Usham. Usham had previously said that a blanket ban on all Israeli citizens could create certain “complications,” and that his office would submit amendments to the bill.

MDP parliamentarians have repeatedly submitted emergency motions and resolutions urging the expedition of the bill. Following mounting pressure not just from the MDP but also from the general public, the PNC said the work on the bill remains ongoing, and will be completed as soon as possible. But there is concern from some regarding the protentional economic repercussions from a blanket plan, with some suggesting that the ban should be limited only to those who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. In November 2024, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, who sits in the Security Services Committee, proposed conducting an impact assessment before implementing such a ban.

Mounting outrage over the atrocities in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories have sparked protests in the streets of the capital, Male’ City, with Maldivians demanding that the government ban Israeli citizens from entering the country.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition. A fragile ceasefire that took effect in January collapsed in March.